Auto-owners vs. Bristol West: Which Company is the Best Fit for You?

Quick Facts

• Looking at the national averages for insurance, Auto-owners offers significantly cheaper rates than Bristol West
• Auto-owners offers more affordable average premiums for policyholders who have a short commute
• Bristol West has less expensive rates in CA, FL, ME, MI, NV, and SC

Auto-owners or Bristol West: Which Company has the Cheapest Car Insurance?

So, you're thinking about switching to a new insurance policy. You've probably seen commercials and billboards from companies offering big savings, but exactly how much money can you save by switching?

You might be considering Auto-owners or Bristol West, but between the two, which carrier has cheaper prices for auto insurance?

As you can see, Auto-owners is quite a bit cheaper than Bristol West, with premiums averaging $179 a month compared to $412 with Bristol West when looking at the national average rates for car insurance.

That being said, that doesn't mean Auto-owners will necessarily be more affordable than Bristol West for every driver. Insurance carriers use tons of complex algorithms to determine rates, so depending on how good your credit score is or how old you are (among a range of other factors), you could see wildly different prices from the ones above.

So, if you want to find out which of Auto-owners or Bristol West is really the best for you, keep reading to see average rates for each company broken down by many different rate factors.

Auto-owners vs. Bristol West: Average Car Insurance Rates by State

Auto-owners and Bristol West only compete against each other in two states, with Auto-owners offering less expensive premiums to the average driver in all of them. Michigan has the most noticable difference, where Auto-owners prices are $406 cheaper than car insurance rates at Bristol West.

That being said, there's a lot more that goes into your auto insurance bill than just the state you live in. Continue reading to see how other variables will affect your rates.

Which is the Best Company For Young Drivers?

You might already know that teen drivers usually pay a lot more for insurance than any group on the road. That's because teen drivers are statistically much more likely to get into an accident that results in an auto insurance claim, making them much riskier to insure.

But still, even with seemingly sky-high premiums, teen drivers can still find ways to save money. For example, 18-year-old drivers pay an average of almost 50% less per month by choosing Auto-owners over Bristol West.

Even so, both companies will offer you dramatically lower prices once you turn 25. For example, average rates for Auto-owners policyholders decrease around $250 and Bristol West's premiums lower nearly $450 over that time.

Which is the Best Company for Retired Drivers?

Drivers around retirement age typically enjoy some of the most affordable car insurance prices you'll ever find. After all, they've likely been driving for quite some time, which normally decreases their chances of collisions and other infractions that can raise rates.

So, which carrier offers the best prices to retired drivers? Auto-owners gets the edge, with premiums for drivers 65 and older $231 more affordable than the national average for Bristol West.

Which is the Best Company for Married Drivers?

Single policyholders tend to get offered slightly more expensive auto insurance rates than married drivers. That's because policies for married couples generally cover several vehicles, which a lot of carriers will give you a discount for.

For those who are single, the difference in average prices between these two companies is significant, with Auto-owners premiums coming in at about half of Bristol West's. The advantage for married policyholders with Auto-owners is also obvious, where drivers save almost 60% a month.

Auto-owners or Bristol West: Average Rates by Gender

Men are statistically more likely than women to get into collisions and get speeding tickets. That means when it comes to insurance men will typically end up paying a little more.

With Auto-owners, women normally pay around $10 per month less than men, but surprisingly, with Bristol West, women usually pay about $1 a month more than men.

Looking at the data for each company specifically, Auto-owners comes out on top for both men and women, with average prices 55% less for men and 58% cheaper for women.

Auto-owners vs. Bristol West: Compare State Minimum vs. Full Coverage Rates

*State minimum value indicates liability-only policies at each state's minimum bodily injury and property damage (BI/PD) limits

**Full coverage indicates state minimum BI/PD limits with collision and comprehensive coverages added to policy.

For most people, car insurance can be pretty complicated. There are lots of different coverages that account for multiple different things. Some protect you and your car, while others only provide coverage for other people's property and health if you cause a collision.

The two most common policies that drivers look at fall into two categories -- liability coverage (which provides bodily injury and property damage coverage for other drivers and passengers if you cause an accident) and full coverage (which generally refers to having collision and comprehensive coverages in addition to liability coverage).

Looking specifically at state minimum liability limits, Auto-owners has the significant edge, with average monthly premiums coming in at $99. If you want a full coverage policy with the same state minimum limits, Auto-owners again has the edge, with policies averaging around $260 per month to Bristol West's $544.

Is Auto-owners or Bristol West Better for Drivers with Spotty Records?

It's no secret -- drivers with good records end up getting the best deals on their auto insurance. But that's not to say you can't save money if you don't have the best driving record, either.

You'll probably end up paying more with speeding tickets and at-fault accidents on your record, but which of these two carriers offers the lowest rates to drivers with less-than-ideal driving records?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Speeding Tickets?

Policyholders who use Auto-owners for their insurance can usually expect their monthly bill to go up about 27% after getting a speeding ticket. Bristol West policyholders can expect a less drastic increase of around 23%.

However, Auto-owners tends to offer the best prices for drivers both with a ticket and with a clean record -- their rates are around 64% less expensive for drivers with clean records and 62% cheaper for those with a ticket.

Which Company is Best for Drivers After an Accident?

Auto-owners drivers who get in a collision can expect to see their premiums increase by just under 30%, while those who have insurance through Bristol West will see about a 30% increase.

At the end of the day, drivers who use Auto-owners end up with the cheaper prices after an accident, with average rates coming in at $168 compared to Bristol West's $479.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with a DUI?

If you get a DUI charge, you can expect some pretty significant increases in your monthly car insurance bill -- typically a lot more than an accident or speeding ticket. Auto-owners drivers usually see a 54% increase in their insurance prices after a DUI charge, while Bristol West will generally raise premiums by around 13%.

But if you end up with a DUI charge and are looking for more affordable prices, Auto-owners tends to be less expensive for the average driver, with monthly premiums coming in at about $264 to Bristol West's $390.

How does Credit Score Impact Auto-owners and Bristol West Rates?

Did you know many auto insurance companies take into account your credit score when determining rates? This isn't true for everyone (for example, Hawaii and Massachusetts are two states that ban the practice entirely), but it does affect quite a few policyholders out there.

The reasoning car insurance carriers use is that drivers with good credit will be more likely to pay their bills on time; so they'll reward them with cheaper premiums, while those with poor credit will normally be forced to pay more.

Looking at Auto-owners and Bristol West specifically, which company has the best rates for policyholders at different credit levels?

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Good Credit?

If you have solid credit, Auto-owners will usually reward you the most. For drivers with "excellent" credit scores, Auto-owners comes in more than 72.22 more affordable. Drivers with "good" credit scores typically save around 66% with Auto-owners compared to average prices from Bristol West.

Which Company is Best for Drivers with Bad Credit?

Auto-owners typically offers lower premiums than Bristol West when it comes to drivers with less-than-perfect credit. Drivers with "fair" credit pay about 57% a month less with Auto-owners compared to Bristol West, and those with "poor" scores normally save an average of around 43% per month.

Is Auto-owners or Bristol West Better for Drivers who Work from Home or Have Short Commutes?

How much you drive can have a substantial impact on how much insurance companies will charge for coverage. That's because the more milage you drive, the more likely you are to be in a collision and file an insurance claim.

For both remote workers and those taking short commutes, Auto-owners tends to be the cheaper option. Auto-owners's average rates for drivers with 6,000 annual miles come in over 55% less expensive than Bristol West. Those who drive 12,000 miles annually can expect to pay more than 55% less with Auto-owners over Bristol West.

Auto-owners or Bristol West: Compare Rates for Urban, Suburban, and Rural Drivers

Where you call home can have a sizable impact on your monthly auto insurance cost. Usually, policyholders who live in heavily-populated urban areas will pay quite a bit more than rural drivers due to the number of cars that are on the roads where they live.

Auto-owners boasts the cheapest average prices for drivers in all types of areas, no matter if they're urban, suburban, or rural.

Those in rural areas can expect to save about $145 with Auto-owners compared to Bristol West. People who live in suburban areas pay around $217 less with Auto-owners compared to Bristol West. For policyholders in urban ZIP codes, Auto-Owners Insurance's average rates are about $334 less than Bristol West.

Auto-owners vs. Bristol West Discounts

You want to save as much money as you can, right? The best way to do that is by taking advantage of as many insurance discounts as possible.

But where do you even start? With what seems like a million different discounts out there, it may be challenging to find all the ones you're eligible for.

Luckily, we did the hard work for you and looked at all of the different discounts Auto-owners and Bristol West offer their customers so that you can find the one that has the most discounts and, therefore, the largest savings.

Auto-owners blows Bristol West away when it comes to the sheer amount of discounts available, offering six more discounts than Bristol West.

Both carriers offer many of the same discounts -- like advance quote discounts, discounts for being a defensive driver, distant student discounts, and minor child discounts -- but Auto-owners also offers discounts for company car, COVID-19 relief, driver training, and more.

On the other hand, Bristol West has a few proprietary discounts of their own for things like continuous insurance discounts, EFT discounts, mobile home policy discounts, and more.

Final Thoughts: Is Auto-owners or Bristol West Best for You?

So, you've seen how different factors can affect your auto insurance premiums. We've shown you all the discounts each carrier offers, too. But, when it comes down to it, which insurance company is the right carrier for you and your specific profile and needs?

Auto-owners might be best for you if....

• You will be the only person on the car insurance policy.
• You care about discounts (Auto-owners offers the most).
• You want to save money while purchasing auto insurance for a teenager.

Bristol West might be best for you if...

• You're looking for the best rates in CA, FL, ME, MI, NV, and SC.

Hopefully, this guide helps you get a good idea of the differences between Auto-owners and Bristol West and that it aids in making a more informed decision about your car insurance.

At the end of the day, the sure-fire way to make sure you're getting the best deal on your insurance policy is to compare quotes from several companies, not just Auto-owners and Bristol West. Luckily, sites like Compare.com do all the hard work for you. Simply enter your ZIP codes below and get multiple free quotes from some of the best auto insurance carriers in your area, all in just a few minutes.

Auto-owners vs. Bristol West FAQs

Is Auto-owners or Bristol West cheaper?

Auto-owners is the more affordable of the two companies when looking at national average prices, with policies averaging $179 per month with Auto-owners and $412 for Bristol West. But that doesn't mean Auto-owners will be the lowest carrier for every driver, since there are a bunch of different variables that come into play when it comes to your insurance payment.

Who is better, Auto-owners or Bristol West?

Sadly, the only answer we can give you is "it depends.". No one company is necessarily "better" for everyone -- it all boils down to your unique car insurance profile.

Why do Auto-owners and Bristol West offer me different rates?

Auto insurance carriers use many different factors when calculating the rates they charge. Things such as where you live, where you park your vehicle, age, gender, and sometimes even things like your credit score can all be taken into consideration. Both Auto-owners and Bristol West calculate premiums differently, so it's likely they'll offer different prices. The best way to determine which carrier is the cheapest for you is by comparing personalized quotes from a variety of different companies.

How do I know if Auto-owners or Bristol West is right for me?

The only way to find the car insurance company that's right for you is by getting quotes from multiple carriers and finding the one best suited for your individual budget. Luckily, Compare.com does all the hard work for you. Just enter your information once and you'll get quotes from dozens of your local top insurance companies for free. With those, you can guarantee you're getting the best premium. And maybe you'll find that the best carrier for you isn't Auto-owners or Bristol West at all, but another you hadn't even thought of!

Methodology

All of the data referenced in this article has been gathered in collaboration with Quadrant Information Services. We analyzed more than 2.5 million rows of carrier-reported data to calculate the average rates referenced above. All rates are based on an insurance profile of a single-vehicle policy for a driver that owns a 2016 Honda Accord. For more information on how we calculate rates, please reference our data methodology.